Overwatch 2's in-game power balance may constantly shift, but its associated lore remains fairly clear-cut on which heroes are the strongest.
Many Overwatch 2 players may believe that their favorite character is the strongest in the game. Due to the shifting nature of the in-game meta, this may even be true during certain patches. Unlike most shooters, though, Overwatch 2 also offers deep, rich lore for its characters, meaning that the question can be answered without appealing to in-game performance. Since the histories and conflicts of the heroes have already been illustrated in trailers, comics, and cinematics, the heroes can be fairly easily ranked against one another.
While fans have made charts to rank the Overwatch 2 characters' powers, the incomplete nature of the lore means that the debate is still largely up to interpretation. Having said that, the characters toward the very top of the list have performed feats that make their ranking almost inarguable.
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Sigma
It's almost unquestionable that Sigma is canonically the strongest character. Not only is Sigma extremely powerful in Overwatch 2, but his origin story trailer reveals that his powers far outreach the other heroes. Since he can harness the power of gravity, Sigma should be able to easily dispatch the other characters on the Overwatch 2 roster. Not only are his offensive capabilities off the chart, but he is also heavily armored, making him impervious to most attacks.
It's possible that another Overwatch 2 tank hero, Winston, could concoct a plan to defeat Sigma, given his ingenuity, but nothing that Winston has currently created offers much of an answer for Sigma's powers. The only knock against Sigma is that his origin story shows an inability to harness the true power of gravity. His previous attempts to tap into the power of black holes are what led to his current fractured state.
Echo
While Echo has been largely overlooked in Overwatch 2, she stands as one of the most powerful characters in the lore. Since her kit includes the ability to replicate the abilities of other heroes, it's difficult to not place her beside any other character on this list. The biggest question mark surrounding Echo is the extent of her ability to copy powers. If she could replicate Sigma's gravity manipulation, for instance, she should be considered every bit as powerful as him, and perhaps even more powerful, considering she could still borrow from other heroes if needed.
It may also be the case that Echo's duplicate ultimate may not be the pinnacle of her powers. In Echo's introduction story, it was revealed that her creator, Dr. Liao, was forced to impose limitations on Echo's powers due to Overwatch's strict policies. If Echo's true potential was unlocked, she may stand atop the Overwatch 2 roster as the singular most powerful character.
Doomfist
Though Doomfist was reworked in Overwatch 2, his lore remains unchanged and contains arguably the most impressive feat in Overwatch's lore. In Singapore, Doomfist single-handedly took on a strike team consisting of Genji, Tracer, and Winston. While he inevitably lost in a close-quarters battle with Winston, he managed to incapacitate both Tracer and Genji during the battle, a feat that puts him high above the majority of other Overwatch heroes.
Since Doomfist stands as one of the main villains, it was inevitable that he would be a powerful figure in Overwatch 2's lore, but the manner in which he dealt with the Overwatch strike team is what cements his position near the top. Not only was he able to physically incapacitate Genji, but he was able to easily time Tracer's movements, which are known to be superhumanly fast. Despite losing to an enraged Winston toe-to-toe, the mere feat of surviving such an encounter is impressive.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
